LOCAL AND GENERAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 266, 6 August 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tho Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen) yesterday received a telegram, from Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph AVard in reply to his messages welcoming them back to New Zealand. Both Ministers expressed regrot that tho train arrangements had inado it impossible for their colleagues in tho Ministry to nieot thorn in Auckland. Mr. •Mfossey'e ■ telegram mentions that ho expects to reach Wellington .on tho Pateena to-morrow evening.

The paragraph published in yesterday's Dominion about "Now Zealand's youngest soldier" brought to light' tho splendid record of another "mero boy" who served with our forces abroad. A Nelson resident called nt The Dominion office and gave the following particulars :—A Nelson lad of sixteen years and nine months enlisted with the Main Body, and relumed .a few months ago after four years' service. Hβ/joined as a -private, and ho camo back ns a lieutenant, wearing two decorations—the D.C.M. and the Military Modal. Before ho became a soldier ho was employed in a land agent's office at Nelson; now he considers that ho ought to improve his education by returning to school. He will therefore become a student at Nelson College, beginning in one of the lower forms.

The pen with which the Treaty of Versailles was signed on behalf of New Zealand lias, beoii brought back by the Prime Minister, who stilted that it was tho ordinary fountain lien which ho was in the habit of using every day. Eventually it would be put away and preserved as a souvenir, Mr. Mnssey said, but in the meantime lie- was currying it with him and using it ns previously. He said the majority of tho delegates followed tho plan of using whatever pen camo to hand. The French Premier, M. Ciemenceau, was' an exception in-using a special pen, his signature being attached with a gold pen presented to him by a number of Paris schoolgirls.—Press Association.

At the meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association oiii Saturday evening, the question of tho short supply of limo was brought, up. It was said thnt there was practically no lime available in Christchurch, and none could bo brought in owing to the railway restrictions. This meant that the -preparation of the spray fluid known as Bordeaux mixture—an important fungicide—could not be gone on with on commercial lines. It was decided to at oner approach the Department and urge thai some steps be taken to fill the defiei. ency.

Detailing how the children had assisted to raise funds on behalf of the school, Mr. W. Bean, headmaster of the Syden. ham School, created much laughter at the ceremony in connection , with the opening of the. new school on Saturday by saying it was wonderful tho number of bottles that could bo collected in Sydenham. In one day the children had gathered 5064, which realised Mi. "We don't want medicine bottles," added Mr. Bean, "we only get Gd. a dozen for : them, but if you eav'e up the beerbottles, which fotch Is. a dozen, you will do well,"— Christchurch "Press."

A rather unusual experience befell a resident of shortly before one o'clock the other morning, when ho was disturbed by a knocking at tho front door of his residence (reports a Chrietehurch paper). On opening the door he noticed a returned soldier in uniform, and by his manner it was seen that the visitor was in trouble. The invitation to come in was accepted, but in n short time the visitor became uncontrollably violent, and succeeded in smashing a considerable amount of furniture. Tho police at Sumner were communicated with, ,and the soldier was removed to the city for treatment.

At the annual meeting of the Potone Electors' Association held lajt evening tho following office-bearers for tho ensuiii" year were elected:—President, Mr. G.° London; vice-president, Mr. 11. Hiir-j roll; and secretary, Mr. G. Spiers.

Owing to its economy in price and mtiliiiiff the motoT-cycle side-ear is gradually forcing ahead in public estimation throughout tho 'world. Tho latest item of Howe in this connection is that a fleet of 500 taxi side-cars is to be put on tho Paris streets. 'As tho farce to be charged are considerably less than for taxi-cabs, there is little doubt that the experiment .wilt be a payable one.

The Wanganiii Returned Soldiers'. Association passed a motion strongly protesting against the reinstatement ot I rofessor von Zedlitii to his former position at Victoria College-Press Assn.

At tlio annual meeting of the Pelono Working Men's Club tlio following olGeebcarers were elected:—President^Mr. R.

11. Jones; vice-president, Mr. N. Bert•■am; committee, Messrs. Bu.rk, Speui't and Aplin. , ,

An interesting announcement was made, at tho Christehureh Cathedral on Sunday_ night (says tho "Lyttcltoii Times")'. It. appears that two gold-piece trinkets were put into tho thanksgiving

offering a fortnight ago. An offer of ,£ls has been rccivved for them on the condition that the treasures aro returned to tho doiior.

At the next meetiiiK of the Hospital Board, Mr. Hugh Black will move that the following resolution, passed by the board at its meeting on Juno 2G, be revoked: "That tho board do not accede to the request of tho Lower Hutt Borough, Council for information regarding: (1) Tho name and addresses of each patient from this borough dealt with at this hospital; (2) the actual expenditure incurred in connection with each patient; (3) the actual amount collected from each patient, also a detailed statement of the same nature as the above, dealing with the charitable aid expenditure for year eliding March 31, 1919." And that the above information be now supplied, i Apprenticeship has been dealt with in t>, systematic way by the Otago Repatriation .Board. It called meetings of tho various trades, with the result that it is able to give, the satisfactory assurance that in almost every instance returned soldier apprentices are on a much better footing than that required by their, legal obligations, with the result that there has been some saving of State subsidy. Tho Question of the terms of reinstatement of law students is being considered, in the hope that their position will be improved. Another phase of repatriation, that of giving soldiers training in workshops, is'going on well over three hundred men being in ,, training. The board states that the new regulations on this subject, together with the fact that tho trade unions are directly represented on the Employment Committee, has resulted in a better understanding between employer, employee, and the Repatriation Department.

The large number of applications for university education has given the Otago Repatriation Board a good deal of concern. Most ot the students are medical or divinity. As the divinity students in we-tvar times were in tho habit of earuins enough by casual preaching and work in the vacation to pay their expenses, assistanco for six uiunths is expected to givo them an opportunity to get on a pre-war footing. As regards medical students, the University is greatlv overcrowded, and it is stated there will bo a difficulty, on tho part of many students to gain sufficient instruction to pass their examinations. It is the intention of tho board to obtain a report from tho Dean of tho Faculty on each case at the end of the present term, and carefully scrutinise each case, with a view to ascertaining -xhether further assistance is advisable.

'!he railway out is beginning to affect the lime trade in Wellington. Most of the limo used in Wellington comes from Napier and Mauricevillo, and though it is an essontial commodity in some trades, the reduction of tho railway service has been so drastic that little can be got through, and stocks havq dwindled almost, to a vanishing, point. A good deal of lime ordinarily comes from Dunedin—the southern lime is favoured by tanners—but as there is a rail journey between the works and Dunedin, the restriction acts in the samo way as it does in tho North Island.

In connection with tho City Council's hoiming scheme, Councillor Thoijias Forevtli will move nt to-morrow evening's meeting'of tho council:—"That tho resolution passed at tho ordinary meeting ot the council held on July 25, adopting Report No. 2 of tho Public Health, Cowetories, Housing and Abattoir Committee, bo rescinded, in ovdor to ennblo the committee to bring down a complete and definite policv relative to coat, tenure, mid disposal?'

Workmen were engaged yesterday in lifting back on to the road the municipal milk department's wagon, which toppled oft' the Pnekakariki Hill road on Saturday afternoon. Speaking to a. Dominion reporter yesterday afternoon, Councillor C. B. NoWood said that ho anticipated that tho work would be successfully nccoir.plished by last evening.

Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) will ask tho City Council at to-morrow evening's niei'ting to fall in with the proposal, to meet tho other local bodies affected In providing 50 per cent, of the cost of puttin? the Bim'utnka road (on tho southern side of the hill) in good order at once.

'.Che directors of John Court, Ltd., Auckland, havo decided to give all tho employees two weeks' holiday on full pav to celebrate peace. Mr. Alfred Court, a member of tho firm, has just relumed from activo service.

Tho Fire, Brigade acknowledges a donation of oCa os. to the brigade's recreation fund from Messrs. J. Duthio rind Co., Ltd., in recognition of the services rendered by the brigade during a ire at tho firm's premises.

No improvement whatever lias as yet taken place in regard to the great shortage of woollen goods in Auckland (ftutes the "Herald"). A few packages have lately come to hand i'rom overseas, but, as one local warehouseman expressed it, theso are but "a drop in the ocean", of the present great need. Then? has been nothing to alter the position during the last -month. The few consignments of goods which carao to hand were immediately divided between so many waiting customers that there was practically no ■benefit to anyone. Dealers who had ordered 500 to 700 pairs of blankets were receiving perhaps haif n dozen. _ The same tiling also applied to practically every other line of woollen good?.

In the opinion Of Mr} W. A. Banks, chairman of the Canterbury Education Board, the time is coming when children will bo taught in open-air schools (says the Cliristchurch "Sun"). Speaking nt the opening of the lately-completed section of the Sydenham School on Saturday, Mr. Banks said that a doctor had told him that he had rejected as many as 50 per cent, of volunteers for active service whom he had examined, and probably half of this number could have been raised to the A standard if they had be«n looked after in their school days.

During a recent visit to> the Waitomo Caves Madamo Marie Power, the distincuished contralto, who was a member of a visiting party, was askicf to test tho acoustics of the amazingly picturesque cathedral cave, which is so muck admired by tourists. Without cccompaninient of any kind, Madame, standing forth under the perfectly-arched domo of this natural cathedial, eang "Soul of Mine," "We'd Better Bide a Wee," and "Kathleen Mavoumeen," and those who were privileged to tie present said that tha efface wns extraoidinnrilv beautiful and lmrfessive. Although the great subterrar.ean ball would probably accoruiuodato a thousand people at a pinch, there was not onlv no suspicion of echo, but the formation.of lhe arched roof, glistening with hundreds of crystalline etalactites, lent a eilvern tono to Madamo Power's lino voice, and every word of each song mot the ear round, full, and clear. Madamo Power qunintily expressed tho wish that there were inoro halls of tho kind in the country: it was a--joy to sins- in such nn acousticnlly-perfect place. Tin: guide said lie had heard nothing more beautiful since Madnmo Kirkby Lurri sang in '.he "cathedral."